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Victoria de Lissovoy is one of the musicians performing at the Jewel of the Ridge Jazz Festival.

PIERRE DUCHARME | THE LEDGER

MARY CANNADAYLedger Media Group

Published: Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at 4:28 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at 4:28 p.m.

Jazz fans are in for a treat when the Jewel of the Ridge Jazz Festival debuts Wednesday.

Facts

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Jewel of the Ridge Jazz Festival.

WHEN AND WHERE: Performances start Wednesday and continue through April 12. Afternoon performances will be from noon to 1 p.m. at the Polk State J.D. Alexander Center, 152 E. Central Ave. On Wednesday, John Abercrombie will play outside the center. Thursday, the Randy Corinthian Quartet will be featured. Evening performances will be offered from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday and April 11 and April 12 at the Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center, 1099 State Road 60 E. On Thursday, the Randy Corinthian Quartet and John Abercrombie will play. Friday will feature T. Foxx and Orquestra Aragon. Saturday will again feature Orquestra Aragon as well as Charlie "Topp" Hines and the Victoria De Lissovoy Ensemble.

The free four-day festival features local and imported talent, performing in casual settings that includes food available for purchase, served bistro style.

"April is Jazz Music Month, so it's a great time to have the festival," said Osubi Craig, festival organizer and director of the Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center. "Ordinarily, the Lake Wales Art Show would be held at this time, but they moved it up this year." (The art show was held in March, rather than April.)

"The idea came up in a conversation between Charlie Hines and myself. He said he had always had a hope of having a jazz festival in East Polk County," Craig said. "It's been a lot of planning in a short time, but it's come together."

The festival is a collaboration of Polk State College, Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center and the Lake Wales Arts Council.

The festival will be staged at two sites.

On Wednesday and April 10, performances will be offered from noon to 1 p.m. at the Polk State J.D. Alexander Center, while jazz will be played April 10-12 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Polk State Lake Wales Arts Center.

Hines is one of the festival's local musicians. He's played trumpet professionally since he was 17 years old and at one time recorded for Stax Records in Memphis, Tenn.

The relationship among the three organizations started when Polk State College took ownership of the center at 1099 State Road 60 E. in 2011.

The college did so at the Arts Council's request, upgrading and renovating the historic former church building, making structural repairs and adding classroom space on the second floor.

The council now shares facilities with PSC for gallery shows and concerts, as well as occupying one office in the building.

Craig said the festival is providing world-class entertainment.

Hines' trumpet will be featured in a couple of numbers with pianist and arranger Victoria de Lissovoy's ensemble, also composed of bass, drums, saxophone, reeds and percussion.

De Lissovoy is a familiar face in the local music scene, and has performed at Bok Tower concerts and Polk Museum of Art events, among other venues.

De Lissovoy, a licensed clinical social worker as well as musician, played her first concert at age 2 and describes herself as a fourth-generation pianist.

She has a master's degree in music from Northwestern University in Chicago.

"I was classically trained but was introduced to a whole other world of music by an uncle who played the boogie-woogie," she said.

Other musicians scheduled for the festival include:

* John Abercrombie, whom Craig described as "one of the most sought-after jazz musicians."

* The Randy Corinthian Quartet.

* Contemporary jazz musician T. Foxx.

* Orquestra Aragon, a Cuban jazz group that has played in Havana for 25 years.

"Their jazz includes violins and flutes, so this will be a different sound for some," Craig said.

With music starting at 5:30 p.m. and continuing until 9 p.m., the organizers made sure hungry people don't have to go off-campus for dinner.

Pedro's Downtown Deli on North Park Avenue in Lake Wales will offer gumbo and shrimp po'boys for sale Thursday night and Chalet Suzanne will sell New Orleans-style food Saturday night. Food prices are in the $7 to $10 range.

"This is one of the things I hoped to bring here," said Craig, who is in his first year as Arts Center director. "We hope it will be an annual event."

Mary Cannaday can be reached at mary.cannaday@newschief.com or 863-401-6960.

This story appeared in print on page O12

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